Goa’s tobacco usage up, 9.7% smoke, finds survey

TNN | Updated: May 26, 2018, 14:20 IST

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PANAJI: An average of 9.7% of all adults in the state either smoke and/or use smokeless tobacco according to the latest Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2016-17.
The second round of the survey revealed that overall tobacco use prevalence has increased among adults in Goa from 8.8% in 2009-2010 to 9.7%. Smoking has decreased among adults from 4.8% to 4.2% in this period.

Smokeless tobacco use has gone up from 4.6% to 6.5% with Kahini, the most commonly used tobacco product, being used by 4.1% of adults in the state.

“The findings from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey conducted in India have added substantially to the knowledge about tobacco use in the state and will be a valuable source of information for strengthening tobacco control policies and prevention programmes in Goa,” secretary health J Ashok Kumar said.

The data reveals that a higher percentage of smokers and tobacco chewers want to quit compared to the last survey. Around 17.9% of all adults who worked indoors were exposed to second-hand smoke at their workplace while 13.8% of all adults were exposed to second-hand smoke at public places.

The survey is a global standard for systematically monitoring adult tobacco use (smoking and smokeless) and tracking key tobacco control indicators. It is a household survey of persons aged 15 and above. The first round was conducted in 2009-10 and the second in 2016-17 under the stewardship of the ministry of health and family welfare with assistance from the World Health Organisation, Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

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